seeking grace for every day. . .

seeking grace for every day. . .

Motherhood and the Invention of Digital Cameras

Motherhood has been revolutionized by the invention of the Digital Camera.

Like it’s not enough that we start this Motherhood Journey with morning sickness and stretch marks, culminating in a protracted experiment in sleep deprivation.

We are then suppose to nourish, protect, and civilize our progeny—WHILE taking and preserving for posterity a pictorial record of every event large and small.

One of the greatest challenges of motherhood has been conquered by a slow and steady advance in the technology of photography.

Digital camera technology goes back to 1951 and Bing Crosby.
I’m not making this up.You can just Google it if you’re really interested.

Then NASA added their 2-cents worth.
Anyway, fast-forward to 1991 when the 1.3 megapixel Nikon F3 based Kodak (DCS) Digital Camera System release was—forgive the pun—aimed at photojournalists.http://www.nikonweb.com/dcs100/

Guess who made the first digital camera aimed at the consumer market?I’ll give you a hint: it was designed to work with a HOME COMPUTER via a serial cable.
The date was February 17, 1994.

Now do you know?

Apple, of course. Ta-dah! It was called the Apple Quick Take 100 camera.

So let’s re-write the slogan: New Version: It’s as American as Motherhood and Apple.

My hubby and I went to the movies and saw about 3 previews for new movies with plots revolving around time travel and the prospect of a LIFE RE-DO OPPORTUNITY.

One of them actually had this line in the trailer, “In the future, time travel will be banned for all but a few, these are the Loopers”.

They skipped over the part about time travel actually being invented. It must have gotten out of hand though because it got banned.

If time travel was possible, I’d go back and give my Mom a great digital camera and lots of memory cards.
Then instead of torn and bent black & white pictures that were stuffed in an old box in the bottom of the Linen closet,
I’d have about 3000 more pictures in iPhoto—all of me. I could Photoshop them and look awesome.
I could literally re-write the history of My Life in Pictures.

Kodak, a company now bankrupt, but once synonymous with pictures, has had several great advertising slogans.

But I have a beef with Kodak over their slogans: they are misleading.

The first was by George Eastman himself. You Press The Button, We Do The Rest.

Kodak Slogan by George Eastman

False advertising if I ever heard it.
Back when George gave us this little zinger the button was the first step in a long process that required professional developing and special paper.

Then came, Share Moments. Share Life.

Still Not the Whole Story

It conjures up pictures of Birthdays & Holidays & all the Special Firsts of childhood.

I’m all choked up and I can’t see through the viewfinder with all these tears in my eyes.But still, this is not all there was to it at the time.
It was never point and click—-until it was too late for me and my kids.

I tried to take pictures.
Of course, I could never tell if I got the shot until the film was developed and the moment had passed.

I tried to get them put in albums.
Of course the plastic sheet covers stuck to them and then turned everything a “sick” sepia tone color.

I hate Kodak.

I’m glad they are BANKRUPT.

I love my Nikon D50.

One day I’m gonna learn how to use it on something other than autofocus.

If you’ve read other posts you’ve seen my grandkids.
I’m forgiving Kodak and trying again with improved technology and another generation.

7 Comments on “Motherhood and the Invention of Digital Cameras”

Great post!!! I’m so thankful for digital!! I feel bad because I didn’t have one with my first child as a baby. The other two kids I did so there is so many more pictures of them and of course they aren’t blurry or have a finger across the lens!!

Thank you, I’m glad you enjoyed it. As for feeling bad, guilt is part of the core curriculum of Motherhood and first born children are the beta-testing phase. I’m convinced that’s why they are hardwired with drive and resilience. It’s God’s way of leveling the playing field while we Moms (and Dads) get our act together.

Sounds like you have a wonderful neighbor who loves your kids. Count your blessings. I only see my neighbors briefly as the garage door goes up or down.

You are so funny….. “I hate Kodak. I am glad they are bankrupt.” PML! But then are you such a forgiving person you are willing to give them another try! LOL! This is a great post and I DO love having tons of photos of the grandkids – and the ones that are photoshopped to really bring out the best of the photo! xoxo